Man Group plc Invests $2.77 Million in Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. $NATR

Key Points

• Man Group bought 126,873 shares of Nature’s Sunshine Products worth approximately $2.77 million, representing about 0.72% of the company. Institutional investors collectively own 79.4% of NATR.
• NATR shares opened at $14.15, well below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, after the company reported quarterly EPS of $0.21 and revenue of $116.99 million—both below analyst expectations.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $30.50, although several firms recently reduced their targets and two executives sold shares.

Man Group plc bought a new position in Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 126,873 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,766,000. Man Group plc owned about 0.72% of Nature's Sunshine Products at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in Nature's Sunshine Products by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 44,803 shares of the company's stock worth $967,000 after purchasing an additional 736 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Nature's Sunshine Products by 1.4% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 54,008 shares of the company's stock valued at $799,000 after purchasing an additional 753 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Nature's Sunshine Products by 7.7% in the first quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 15,340 shares of the company's stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 1,092 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in shares of Nature's Sunshine Products during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Nature's Sunshine Products by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 49,798 shares of the company's stock worth $1,075,000 after buying an additional 1,513 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.40% of the company's stock.

Nature's Sunshine Products Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of NATR opened at $14.15 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $18.86 and a 200 day moving average of $22.32. The company has a market capitalization of $249.04 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.01 and a beta of 0.88. Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. has a 12 month low of $12.97 and a 12 month high of $28.14.

Nature's Sunshine Products (NASDAQ:NATR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.27 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $116.99 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $123.70 million. Nature's Sunshine Products had a return on equity of 12.88% and a net margin of 3.68%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Kevin R. Herbert sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.68, for a total value of $41,360.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 48,866 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,010,548.88. The trade was a 3.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Bryant J. Yates sold 11,968 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.90, for a total transaction of $238,163.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 77,446 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,541,175.40. The trade was a 13.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have purchased 161,389 shares of company stock valued at $2,612,536. 3.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on NATR. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price target on Nature's Sunshine Products from $37.00 to $36.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Nature's Sunshine Products from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, August 16th. DA Davidson reduced their target price on shares of Nature's Sunshine Products from $33.00 to $25.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Nature's Sunshine Products from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $30.50.

Nature's Sunshine Products Company Profile

Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc is a global manufacturer and direct seller of nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, and personal care products. The company’s core business centers on research, development and distribution of vitamins, minerals, botanicals and essential oil-based formulations designed to support overall health and wellness. Operating under a network-marketing model, Nature’s Sunshine works through a network of independent distributors who promote and sell its product line directly to consumers.

The company’s product portfolio spans dietary supplements such as single-ingredient vitamins, proprietary herbal blends, sports nutrition formulas and weight-management solutions, along with skin and hair care items based on botanical extracts and essential oils.

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